The present invention relates to pacifiers for use with infants and small children and particularly to a novel and improved hygienic pacifier having a cover for protecting the nipple of the pacifier having one or more nipples.
Many different types of pacifiers have been proposed and constructed in the past. Typically, such pacifiers include a shield which may be either flat or contoured to present a flat or concave surface, respectively, to the mouth of the infant or small child. (For purposes of the application, the user of the pacifier of this invention, whether an infant, small child or otherwise, will be referred to from time to time as an "individual") A nipple, of course, projects from one side of the shield for insertion into the individual's mouth. Conventionally, the opposite side of the shield is provided with a handle, such as a ring, to facilitate insertion and withdrawal of the pacifier, respectively, into and from the individual's mouth. While these pacifiers have proven satisfactory, not infrequently the infant or small child will drop the pacifier and invariably the nipple of the pacifier becomes soiled. The nipple must therefore be cleaned before being placed back into the individual's mouth and oftentimes there is nothing convenient with which to clean the nipple. Further, a replacement pacifier is not always available, particularly when the individual is away from home. Also, for those pacifiers which provide a cover for the nipple, the cover is often misplaced when removed from the nipple in order to use the pacifier. When removed, the cover may also become contaminated. Thus, even where the individual does not drop the pacifier and is only temporarily through using it, frequently the cover is not readily available or cannot be located so that the nipple may be once again covered and protected against contamination for later use. Further, if the cover is contaminated when removed, it makes little sense to re-cover the nipple with a contaminated non-hygienic cover. Moreover, most pacifier covers are applied to the shield with a snap-fit. With this type of connection, inadvertent release of the cover from the pacifier shield sometimes occurs, rendering the cover essentially useless and exposing the nipple to contamination.
To overcome these and other shortcomings of prior pacifiers, the present invention provides a novel and improved pacifier having various improved features. For example, to avoid cleaning the nipple of the pacifier when contaminated and to facilitate quick reuse of the pacifier, the present invention provides, in one embodiment hereof, a pacifier having a pair of nipples which project on opposite sides of a shield. A single cover is supplied with the pacifier and is adapted for releasable securement to either side of the shield whereby one or the other of the nipples can be covered and protected against contamination. The pacifier of the present invention thus provides, in effect, a spare clean nipple which can be used should the uncovered nipple in use become contaminated, for example, by dropping the pacifier, as previously noted. Consequently, by removing the cover from the second clean nipple, the clean nipple may be inserted into the individual's mouth, with the shield separating the contaminated nipple from the clean nipple. The contaminated nipple, of course, projects outwardly from the shield, outside of the individual's mouth.
It is a further feature of the present invention that the cover may be releasably secured to either side of the shield. Thus, not only are the nipple or nipples protected against contamination, but the cover itself is protected against contamination by storing it on the non-in-use side of the pacifier. For example, when the first nipple is in use, the cover overlies the second clean nipple on the opposite side of the shield, protecting the second nipple and itself against contamination. Should it be necessary to expose the second clean nipple for use, e.g., in the event the first nipple becomes contaminated, the cover is first removed from the clean nipple and applied over the contaminated nipple on the opposite side of the shield. The cover may also be optionally provided with a handle so that it may be readily removably secured to either side of the shield, as desired.
As evident, it is important that a secure, yet releasable attachment be provided between the cover and shield. To accomplish this, the shield may be provided with two or more apertures opening through opposite sides of the shield. The cover may have a corresponding number of projections receivable within the respective apertures. The apertures and projections have cooperating detents such that, upon insertion of the projections into the apertures and rotation of the cover and shield relative to one another, the detents engage and lock the cover to the shield to one another. Also, the projections have tips which engage behind complementary flanges in the apertures of the shield to prevent axial removal of the cover. The projections and apertures are configured to enable insertion of the projections into the apertures from either side of the shield and hence enable ready releasable securement of the cover to either side of the shield.
Still further, the nipples are preferably formed of a flexible material. Thus, the depth of the cover may be less than the length of the nipple whereby the cover compresses the covered nipple. An important feature of the present invention also resides in the alignment of the apertures of the shield with apertures in the cover whereby, when the cover is secured to either side of the shield, at least one or more vent openings are provided through the cover and shield.
In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a pacifier comprising a shield, a pair of nipples projecting from opposite sides of the shield in generally opposite directions and a cover for alternately overlying the nipples on opposite sides of the shield. Means are cooperable between the cover and the shield for securing the cover and the shield one to the other in alternate positions on either side of the shield whereby each of the nipples may be covered by the cover while the other nipple is exposed for use.
In a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a pacifier comprising a shield, at lest one nipple projecting from one side of the shield and a cover for overlying the nipple on the one side of the shield. Means are provided cooperable between the cover and the shield for securing the cover to the shield in alternate positions on either side of the shield whereby the one nipple on one side of the shield may be covered by the cover and the cover removed for securement to the opposite side of the shield, thereby exposing the one nipple for use, the cooperable means including means responsive to relative rotation of the cover and the shield for releasably securing the cover and shield one to the other on each of the opposite sides of the shield.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved pacifier having a cover for a nipple which may be secured on either side of the pacifier shield and, where two nipples are provided, the cover overlies the first nipple to maintain it clean, while the other nipple is exposed for use.